I Try to Picture Me Without You but I Can't
by Lisa Moulton
Summary: THIS STORY IS MARY SUE! During and because of the events of "Time's Arrow", Lisa makes a decision that would change her relationship with Data forever. (Revised 7/19)
1. Chapter 1

**THIS STORY IS MARY SUE! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT!**

**Author's Notes: See end of chapters for trivia and in-jokes.  
**

_Chapter One_

Lisa was on the holodeck when she heard the news that the _Enterprise_ had returned to Earth. Her surroundings were that of a large meadow on Alnilam, the planet she thought of as home when she wasn't on Earth. She was utilizing the space to exercise the abilities she possessed that she couldn't safely use anywhere else on the ship. She flew above the multicolored grass, wings stretched to their full span, enjoying the wind – simulated as it was – blowing through her hair.

No one had come to tell her about their arrival; she simply picked up the thoughts of the other people on the ship. The _Enterprise_ had been called back for some kind of priority mission, but she wasn't too clear on the details yet. Information was kind of trickling into her mind from the projected thoughts from the rest of the ship. It was currently more speculation than facts as Data and Captain Picard were currently on the planet investigating whatever it was that was so important that it required the _Enterprise_ to come home.

Catching a thermal and riding it up, she let her mind wander a bit. She'd been on the _Enterprise_ for nearly six years now and there were people amongst the crew and civilians that she considered some of her closest friends.

_Some I wish were closer than others_… An image of a pale face with gold eyes drifted through her mind.

It had been three – almost four – years since she had told Data, the ship's resident android, that she was in love with him only to have him reveal to her that he already knew. It had also been that same amount of time since she'd told him that, knowing he was unable to return the feelings she had for him, she was simply content to be his friend. Although she still was, she wanted to start spending at least a little more time with him.

She only had time to briefly consider asking him about it later when the communications system beeped.

_"Picard to Lisa."_

Surprised, she nearly fell out of the sky; the Captain almost never contacted her. Catching herself before the holodeck's safety fields could, she landed gently on the ground and tapped her comm. badge.

"Lisa here."

_"Your assistance is required in Engineering. Please report immediately."_

She blinked. There was an underlying tension in his voice that unnerved her a little. Shaking it off, she responded that she was on her way and left the holodeck. As she made her way to a turbolift, a voice pierced into her mind.

_Lisa, a lot of people seem very concerned about something._

It was her Kinsellan flit, Rising Fog. He, like Counselor Troi, was empathic and able to sense strong emotions. He'd elected to remain in their quarters instead of accompanying her to the holodeck, stating that he'd wished to nap instead.

The flit was telling the truth about the apprehension around the ship. It was almost smothering, as if a heavy blanket had settled over everyone. It seemed to center around some…artifacts that had been found on Earth, but she couldn't get any specifics on exactly what those artifacts were. Lisa's telepathy was limited in the fact that she could only read the "loud" thoughts that were being projected – "shouted", as it were – and extreme concentration was required for anything more. To her, it seemed that everyone was specifically _not_ thinking about the details, as if they were trying to keep that bit of information from her. All that was coming through was _artifacts_.

She didn't like the possibility that the crew was hiding something, but until she had more information she decided to let it go for now.

_Don't worry about it, Jamie,_ she told the flit, using her nickname for him. _No need worrying until we have something to worry about._

That "something to worry about" would wind up making its appearance sooner rather than later.

Entering Engineering, she saw Data, Geordi La Forge, Will Riker, Captain Picard and several other crew members. She smiled automatically at Data. He acknowledged her expression with a nod, and she realized that he seemed to be standing in front of one of the work stations. Before she could find out what his body was concealing, Geordi, Riker and Picard herded her over to a computer station with some readouts on the display. The concerned thoughts about artifacts were closer here in Engineering and there was a more conscious effort of concealment of the specifics. They were _definitely_ hiding something and she didn't like it one bit.

_Try to stay calm until you need a reason not to be, all right?_

Why did she have the feeling her own words were being thrown back at her?

"Hi, Lisa," Geordi said, oblivious to her mental plight. "Come take a look at this. Have you ever encountered a species of shape shifters that invaded Earth in the nineteenth century?"

Knowing that she was very long-lived and had traversed several galaxies in that timeframe, she was occasionally called to offer her opinion on unknown-to-Starfleet alien species. She pushed her glasses up her nose and peered at the readouts. "Microcentrum cell membranes…not affected by triolic waves…hmm…" Alas, once in a while, they would come across a species that even she had no experience with. "No, sorry – wait…" Spotting something, she leaned in closer. "Hey, what's that?" She tapped a couple of controls on the panel to zoom in on what looked like a one-celled organism.

Geordi moved so he could see better and keyed the controls. "A cellular fossil." He tapped a few more buttons. "Might have just come along for the ride."

"A cellular fossil?" said Picard.

"A microscopic ciliated life form," said Geordi. "Not unlike a thousand other single cell life forms that you'd find on any planet surface…except this particular one is L-B-one-zero-four-four-five…and L-B-one-zero-four-four-five is only known to exist on one place…"

"Devidia II," he and Lisa said together. It was unknown whether she knew this already or she was just reading from the computer, but it wasn't that important.

Geordi nodded at her. "In the Marrab sector."

Picard turned to Riker. "Number One, lay in a course."

The Commander nodded. "On my way," he said and left.

"Thank you for your help, Lisa," said Picard. "Dismissed."

She wasn't Starfleet but the civilians on the ship were obligated to follow the Captain's orders. She started to head for the door when something caught her eye. A hint of slight panic flooded through the remaining non-android crew members as she realized what it was.

Her hearts began to pound as her eyes fell upon Data's head broken at the neck, dusty, old and dead. She looked to the android himself, watching her with his usual stoicism. Picard and Geordi, however, did not look happy that she'd discovered it.

_Lisa, relax,_ said Jamie, sensing her distress. He didn't know what was causing it yet but he knew that panicking would not help matters.

She found her voice, but it was hoarse. "What…where…?" She grimaced as several images flooded her mind: a cave beneath San Francisco, a watch, a gun…and Data's severed head. Now that she knew, the effort that was being used to keep the secret had dissolved. She cleared her throat. "That's why the _Enterprise_ was called back to Earth…"

Picard nodded. "Yes."

"And why everyone on the ship was upset…"

"Yes."

She looked at Data. "And why you were standing in front of it when I got here. So I wouldn't see."

It was the android's turn to nod. "It was thought that knowledge of my eventual demise would disturb you."

Her being in love with him wasn't exactly a secret on the ship, so while it made sense that the crew would try (_try_) keeping something like this from her fearing it would upset her, they would have to know that someone would slip at some point.

"Were you going to try to hide it until the mission was over?" She was addressing everyone in the room. "Everyone was already upset over this and you _know_ I'm more aware than Counselor Troi is. I would've found out eventually." Her wingtips were starting to both redden and take on a bluish tinge.

_Getting angry won't help matters._

_They shouldn't have tried to hide things from me!_

Picard had to concede. "Yes, you're right. We should not have tried to hide this from you." He walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder; she was trembling. "Lisa, I promise…we will do everything in our power to prevent this from happening."

She was going to say that that would cause a paradox but the look in his eyes stopped her and she forced herself to calm down. "If – " Her voice caught so she cleared her throat and tried again. "If you need my help, let me know."

_That's my girl._

The Captain nodded. "Of course." He looked at his two officers. "Data, La Forge, why don't you escort Lisa out…and explain everything to her. She's right. She will find out eventually and it's better she know the facts rather than speculation."

The two men nodded and led her out of Engineering. Even as she let them, she looked behind her at the blank, dead eyes of her dear friend. She felt like she had to do something but, at the moment, she had no idea what.

_End chapter one._

* * *

_Trivia and In-Jokes_

**About the Story:  
**This story involves more of the things I've thought up with AL and Data as I remade my website. I actually wrote the end first in my Story Scenes document (from where AL goes to Data's quarters). The rest of the story was written using the scripts from Star Trek Minutiae and the episodes themselves on Netflix and yes I did give AL some of the existing dialogue from the episode to help with the flow of the story. I still feel that I'm not too good at setting a story within a story but I tried my best. That's another thing I envy Flaming Trails for. Is it any wonder she's my Inspiration Fairy? Kinsellan flits are the property of Jessica Dragontamer. The end of Chapter Three coincides with the end of "Time's Arrow, Part I".

**Title:  
**I Try to Picture Me Without You but I Can't: For some reason (could have been my kid watching _Big Hero 6_ at least two or three times a week), "Immortals" by Fall Out Boy came to mind while thinking of this story.

**Chapter One:  
**Alnilam program on the holodeck: When I was a kid I always figured that if AL wasn't hanging out with Data she'd be on the holodeck and that's why the crew never used Holodeck One (because she was in it all the time).

Jamie: Rising Fog's nickname comes from Jamie McCrimmon, companion of the Second Doctor in _Doctor Who_ and the first pure human AL had ever fallen in love with.


	2. Chapter 2

**THIS STORY IS MARY SUE! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT!**

_Chapter Two_

Thanks to their link, explaining what had happened to Jamie only took a few short moments. He couldn't currently come to her, thus they kept their link open so he could hear what was going on without her having to relay the information and so he could be a comforting mental presence if needed.

Data and Geordi took her to Ten-Forward. Geordi brought drinks for himself and Lisa and they sat at the bar to explain to her what had transpired on Earth. She listened quietly, absorbing it all and not liking anything one iota. She was still angry for everyone's deception and so the tips of her twitching wings still had a bit of red in them.

"Look," she said, "I understand why you all were trying to hide Data's head from me, but just because I understand it doesn't mean I like it. I thought Starfleet was all about truth and stuff like that."

Data's face was, of course, impassive but Geordi at least looked a little ashamed. "It is. And, like the Captain said, you're right." He paused briefly. "I didn't think it was a good idea in the first place."

With a small chuckle, she gave him the barest of smiles as she sensed the lie. " 'A' for effort, Geordi." She took a sip of her drink to try to calm down.

The Engineer sighed and turned to Data. "So…do you want to talk about it?"

The android blinked and canted his head. "Are you referring to the foreknowledge of my death?"

"Yeah." Geordi's voice was quiet.

He paused. "I have no…particular desire to discuss the matter." He raised his eyebrows as if a thought just occurred to him. "Do _you_ need to talk about it?"

"_Yeah_!" came the emphatic answer.

"Ah." Beat. "Why?"

Lisa nearly slammed down her glass in frustration. "Data…okay, I know the whole 'no-emotions' thing but…this has got to bother you a little."

"On the contrary, I find it rather comforting."

The ping she sensed told her that Geordi was as surprised at his remark as she was. "Comforting?" they said together.

"I have often wondered about my own mortality as I have seen others around me age. Until now, it has been theoretically possible that I would live an unlimited period of time and, although some might find this attractive – "

"Data…" Lisa interrupted, "_I_ have a long lifespan, too, you know."

He nodded. "Yes, I am aware. However, your immortality was caused by an outside source and, as you have regular contact with that which caused it, you have a basis for comparison for your lifespan. As there has been no predetermined limit placed on my existence, to me, it only reinforces the fact that I am…artificial."

Geordi considered his words. He turned towards Lisa. "Is it as tough for you? Knowing that you will outlive all your friends?"

"I always made new friends," she answered.

"As I had expected to do," added Data.

Geordi nodded and took a sip of his drink. "True."

Data seemed compelled to add, "And then to outlive them as well."

"That's the price of immortality, Data," said Lisa, squirming uncomfortably. She didn't like where this conversation was heading. She decided to go for broke and took a deep breath. "I would've stayed with you. You wouldn't outlive me." Her voice cracked as she found that even saying that was painful.

"Now that you know that you might not outlive us?" Geordi asked. Gesturing to Lisa, he added, "Well, except…"

She frowned at him but made no comment. Jamie tried to send her soothing thoughts to keep her from breaking down completely.

"It provides a sense of completion to my future. In a way, I am not that different from anyone else. I can now look forward to death."

"I never thought of it that way," said Geordi.

Lisa, however, was confused. "Why would anyone look forward to death? I've seen it…you've both seen it…i-it's not a nice thing." She swallowed at the stutter.

Data canted his head again. "One might also conclude that it brings me one step closer to being human." He made an expression that could almost have been a smile. "I am mortal."

The comm. system beeped. _"Picard to Bridge Officers. We're approaching the Devidia System. Report to your stations."_

As Data got up to leave, Geordi said to him, "I'll see you later. Let's get together for a game of chess or something, okay?"

Data nodded and left Ten-Forward. Lisa watched him go, then leaned on the bar and sighed. Geordi patted her back sympathetically and Guinan took that opportunity to walk over to the morose pair.

"That sounded like a very intense discussion."

"Yeah," Geordi replied, "they found Data's head a mile beneath San Francisco. Been down there about five centuries."

The look that crossed the woman's face could only have been described as realization. "_That's_ why the _Enterprise_ is being sent back to Earth." She put a thinking finger to her chin. "I didn't realize."

"Something, isn't it?" Geordi asked and took a swig of his drink. "He seems fine about it. Better than we are." He stood up. "Well, I'd better get to Engineering." Before leaving, however, he paused and put a hand on Lisa's shoulder. "You gonna be all right?"

_Was_ she? Truthfully, she didn't know. Her mind was churning and her hearts ached so badly she could hardly think straight. Nevertheless, she forced a brave face. "Yeah. Sure."

He nodded, squeezed her shoulder and walked out. The moment he was out of eyeshot, however, she put her chin in her hands and stared into her drink as if the answers she was looking for were hidden somewhere in the depths of the liquid.

"Full circle. Hmm."

Lisa looked up, having forgotten that Guinan was even there. She studied the other woman, trying to sense what was going through her mind. Unfortunately, as Guinan was just as long-lived as Lisa was, she had learned over the years to shield her thoughts from telepaths. Did she know something? Was she, too, hiding something? Lisa didn't know and she highly doubted that Guinan would tell her even if she asked.

_Come home, Lisa,_ Jamie urged gently.

Sighing again, she downed the last of her drink and walked out of Ten-Forward, not noticing Guinan had watched her leave.

Jamie was sitting on his perch when Lisa entered their quarters. She flopped down on the couch and put her arm over her eyes. The flit's draconic shadow fell over her as he glided to alight on the back and he leaned over to nuzzle her elbow.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked, sitting up. "Why does the thought of him dying hurt so much? It's not like I'm not aware that I'll outlive almost everyone on this ship…" Her voice trailed away as she realized what she just said.

_Maybe you never thought he would,_ he offered. _He said so himself that he doesn't know how long he'll live. He's an android, not a biological being._

"Maybe." She stood up and walked across the room, wings twitching. She could sense that everyone on the ship was having a similar reaction; there were traces of anger and disbelief floating about. She tried to block it out but her own feelings threatened to overtake her.

_You're not going to be able to think if you don't calm down._

Sighing, she leaned against a bulkhead. "This is like…finding out someone you love has a terminal illness." She spread her hands. "I just…I feel so helpless."

Jamie knew that Lisa hated that feeling. He flew over to stand on a chair near her and nuzzled her. She dropped to her knees, took his face in her hands and pressed her forehead to his. Tears traced wet tracks down her cheeks.

_I just_… she thought miserably. _I don't know what to do_…

The flit caressed her hands with the claws on his wings as gently as he could, at a loss at what could be done to help her through this. After a few moments she sniffled and stood up, heading towards the bedroom.

"I'm going to go lay down…I don't feel so good…"

_Of course._

She positioned her wings so she could lie down on the bed and told the computer to dim the lights. Placing her glasses on the bedside table, she shut her eyes, but she didn't sleep. She instead asked the computer what the status of the _Enterprise_ crew was.

_"Lieutenant Commander La Forge, Commander Riker, Lieutenant Worf and Counselor Troi are on Devidia II."_

"Data's not with them?"

_"Lieutenant Commander Data is on the Bridge."_

Lisa sighed. Although her telepathy would extend to Devidia II, the emotions on the ship itself were overtaking everything else so she couldn't hope to sense anything on the planet without the effort of extreme concentration. Feeling it was her only hope as she wasn't allowed on the Bridge without permission, she lay back on the bed and concentrated.

Trying to relax, she opened her mind and was immediately assaulted by a cacophony of thoughts and feelings from the thousand other people on the ship. Wincing, she attempted to filter out what she didn't need and focus on the blips that were the Bridge crew and the away team.

Through the din, she could feel something else. An underlying sense of…terror. It wasn't coming from anyone from the _Enterprise_; it had to be on Devidia II itself, but not from the away team. Counselor Troi was probably feeling it, too. They felt…human? On Devidia II? No, that didn't make sense.

She felt confusion from the Bridge crew, followed by an extreme sense of what she could only call dread. Her stomach did a flip-flop as she was filled with anxiety and anticipation. She desperately wished that she could hear what was going on.

"Computer, is Data still on the ship?"

_"Lieutenant Commander Data is on Devidia II."_

_Oh, no_…

Jamie flew into the room. _He went down? Oh, dear_…

Lisa grabbed her glasses and instructed the flit to stay put. She contemplated going straight up to the Bridge, but decided against it. She could only get away with so much on this ship. Instead she took the turbolift to Deck 2, then located a Jeffries tube and slipped inside unnoticed. Not really sure of where to go, she only knew she needed to go up. She merely had to get close enough to the Bridge in order to hear what was going on.

She crawled through the tubes and climbed ladders but eventually she found herself able to hear the comm. system. Data was on the surface and his voice sounded oddly distorted as he spoke.

_"I have made visual contact. There are life-forms here. They are either unaware of me or choosing to ignore me. I am moving approximately ten meters north of my starting position to observe more closely."_

The anxiety from the Bridge crew was growing. They didn't like whatever it was Data was doing. Lisa knew exactly how they felt.

_"They range from two to three meters in height, silver-gray in color. They have four limbs, no eyes or ears are noticeable. There is a single orifice where a humanoid forehead would ordinarily be. They are reclined against the rock face surrounding an apparatus of some sort, approximately one-point-five meters in height. It is releasing what appear to be energy fragments which are then ingested by the entities through their orifice. Perhaps some sort of nourishment. The upper portion of the apparatus seems to be a holding facility for the energy segments. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of these fragments inside. I have resumed a northern direction. There is no evidence yet of humans."_

"Okay, Data…" she whispered to herself. "That's enough…please come home…"

_"I have encountered another life-form – an ophidian."_

…a what?

_"It seems to be restricted by a force field. Two of the silver-gray entities are approaching it. They have released the force field."_

Suddenly there was the sound of a sonic boom followed by the deafening swirling sound of a tornado. Fear enveloped everyone. Lisa forced her racing hearts to slow and fought off the urge to go down to the planet herself so she could keep listening. Data's voice was breaking up now.

_"I am reading a temporal distortion_…_of mass_…-_ortions_…_the ophidian is ca-_…_time-space continuum_…_caught in the after effect_…_I am attempting_…_"_

There was an explosion and she heard Counselor Troi cry out over the comm. The next voice she heard was the Captain on the deck above.

_"Commander Riker, report!"_

There was a long, long pause.

_"We've lost him."_

_End chapter two._

* * *

**Chapter Two:  
**I thought Starfleet was all about truth and stuff like that: A reference to Picard's speech in "The First Duty" that "The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, whether it's scientific truth or historical truth or personal truth! It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based!" and so on. If this story wasn't rated the same as an episode of _TNG_, AL probably would've used a different word that starts with "s" instead of "stuff" there.

your immortality was caused by an outside source: AL is immortal because her blood mixed with an immortal unicorn early in her life. This is also why she heals faster than a human.

there has been no predetermined limit placed on my existence: This line was lifted directly from the _TNG_ episode "Silicon Avatar".


	3. Chapter 3

**THIS STORY IS MARY SUE! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT!**

_Chapter Three_

Lisa didn't know how long she sat in the Jeffries tube. The moment Commander Riker had reported that Data was gone, everything kind of went hazy for a while. She became aware of someone calling to her. No one was in the tube with her and it took her a moment to realize it was Jamie's voice.

_Lisa, are you all right?_

_Data's gone_… Her hearts twisted painfully and hot tears burned her eyes. _I didn't even get to tell him I –_

_Stop. Calm down. Come back._

She felt him tug at her mind, anchoring her. Shutting her eyes, she concentrated on her flit and she disappeared from the tube in a flash of light and crackle of energy…

…and appeared in a heap on the floor. Jamie immediately glided over to her and nuzzled her. _Now, come on. His head was found in San Francisco, right? Five hundred years ago? That's probably where he ended up._

_That's where he'll die_…

_Stop it,_ he said again, more firmly this time. _You know that the crew will do all they can to make this right. They'll save him._

Lisa wiped her eyes. "I'm not so sure…they have a mission, after all…they won't make him a priority…"

_What's more important than Data?_

"To me, maybe…"

Annoyed, Jamie slashed at her with his claw. The scrape he left on her hand was small and healed within seconds but the shock that he would actually scratch her brought her back to reality.

_Now._ He fixed his green eyes on her. _What are you going to do about it?_

She was silent for a moment, then her eyes grew hard. "Lisa to Captain Picard."

There was a very long pause, then, _"Picard here."_

"I need to see you immediately." Her tone of voice left no room for argument and the Captain knew it.

_"Very well. Come to the Observation Lounge."_

"On my way."

Jamie looked proud of her. _You take care of what you have to take care of. I'll stay here._

She kissed his head and walked determinately out of her quarters, spending the journey to the Bridge rehearsing what she was going to say to the Captain. She highly doubted "I love him, please let me find him" would suffice.

When she emerged on the Bridge, the supernumeraries glanced at her with curiosity followed by understanding. They knew Data was missing and they knew of her feelings for him so they rightly concluded that she'd want to do something about it.

She marched herself to the Observation Lounge where the senior staff were in the middle of a meeting. Part of her felt bad for interrupting it but the other part of her felt that it was necessary; she could sense that she wasn't the only one in pain after the loss of Data. Geordi was talking.

"I should be able to create a subspace field large enough to encompass everyone. Adjusting the phase inside the field will be the hard part."

"Let me come."

The crew turned at the sound of her voice. Captain Picard straightened his uniform and looked at her. Clearing his throat, he started to speak but she cut him off quickly.

"Captain, _please_," she implored. "I can't sit idly by knowing he's in the past and do nothing. I want to help."

"Lisa, I'm not entirely sure what you _could_ do." Picard said honestly.

"The Captain is right," said Deanna Troi gently. "You don't have any technical knowledge that could be a help with the mission. You'd be a liability."

Her eyes blazed, the tips of her wings turning red. "Are _you_ going?" Before the Counselor could answer, Lisa continued, "There are two differences between you and me: you're an officer and I'm not and you can be injured and I can't. I think that balances things out." Once it was out of her mouth she realized that that was only partially true; Lisa _could_ be injured, but her healing rate was twice as fast as a human and so minor things – like Jamie's scratch – would hurt but not be of any significance. Still, she remained firm.

The Captain looked at her with sympathy and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Lisa, we all know how you feel about him, but I can't in good conscience let you join the away team. I'm sorry."

She looked down at the floor, then back at the crew. When she spoke again, she chose her words very, very carefully. "If I just…_happened_ to decide that I wanted to do a…little research about the time period those artifacts were left in the cave…that's harmless, right?"

The look in his eyes told her clearly that he had an idea of what she was getting at. He, too, used very precise wording in his answer. "There's no harm in an…archeological study of the nineteenth century, no…"

"And what I do with that information is kind of up to me, right?"

"What you do with your findings is your own business, yes," he allowed.

Captain Picard knew very well that Lisa was free to leave the ship under her own power anytime she wanted. There was no way of keeping her on the _Enterprise_ save for somehow dampening her powers and creating something like that would take time and resources that they just did not have at the moment. He also knew that she possessed the ability to time travel and he had to have guessed that she was going to use it to find Data in the past. However, as she didn't state that that was her intention, he could feign ignorance to her real plan.

She nodded curtly, gave her thanks, turned on her heel and left the Observation Lounge. While the rest of the crew discussed that, wherever Data was, he was trying to get to the bottom of the mystery of the connection between twenty-fourth century Devidia II and nineteenth century San Francisco, Lisa went to Ten-Forward. It was after hours, the lights were dim and there were only a few customers present. She found Guinan setting up some different sized and shaped glassware containing liquids and solid crystals of many hues. It kind of looked like a chemistry set blew up on the bar.

"What do you know?" Lisa demanded by way of greeting.

The woman looked up, undisturbed by the outburst. "Hello, Lisa."

"Guinan, _what do you know_? You can't hide everything from me…I know you know something." She eyed the other woman. "Do you know when he is?"

Guinan smiled at her wording. "What if I do?"

Lisa's wings, glowing slightly in the darkness, fluffed up. Normally she found Guinan's nonchalance charming, but not this time. She spoke in a clipped tone. "I intend to go back in time and find him." What she was going to say next caused her to look almost embarrassed; even her wings turned pink at the tips. "My time travel power is very touchy…the more information I have, the better chance I have of getting it right on the first try."

She sighed. "Lisa, you know I can't tell you."

Like a snapped string the tears began to flow, her wings beginning to take on a blue hue. She was so desperate she resorted to begging. "Guinan, _please_. I _have_ to find him. Even if it's just to ensure he won't die alone…"

Guinan regarded her for a long moment. "1893. I can't tell you any more than that. You'll have to find out exactly when on your own."

It wasn't a lot, but it was a start. Lisa wiped her eyes and hugged her. "Thank you."

She rushed out of Ten-Forward so fast her wing banged the door. Barely registering that she'd passed Captain Picard on the way, she headed back to her quarters and sat down at her computer terminal.

"Computer…do you have any records of…" She thought hard of how to word her request. "News articles from San Francisco in 1893?"

_"Accessing_…_records from the San Francisco Register are available."_

"Show me the headlines from the first six months." She went to the replicator for a cup of tea for herself and a bowl of fruit for Jamie; when she returned to the terminal, the information she requested was on the screen. She scanned the headlines but didn't notice anything that would help. Jamie sat behind her as an extra pair of eyes, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of banana.

"Computer, show me the headlines for the next six months."

She took a sip of her tea and watched the information scroll onto the screen. She scanned the headlines again, again not finding anything even remotely helpful. She grunted in frustration.

_Calm down,_ said Jamie. _Maybe you're looking for the wrong thing._

"What do you mean?"

_Well, think of what was going on on Devidia II. These aliens are going to the nineteenth century for a reason._

Lisa thought a moment. "Data said that…the aliens were supplying the ones on Devidia II with…energy fragments for…he said 'nourishment'…and Deanna and I both sensed humans on the planet, but that's impossible…"

_Maybe those energy fragments came from humans?_

"Humans from the nineteenth century…?" Lisa rubbed her chin and looked at the headlines again. "Okay, so…I'm a time traveler…with a taste for human energy…where would I go to get it?" Her eyes scanned the words on the screen and one particular headline caught her eye.

**_CHOLERA OUTBREAK – HUNDREDS DIE_**

"Wait a second…cholera wasn't _that_ bad at that time, was it?" Her eyes grew wide. "They've gone to a time where there were plagues and epidemics so they can kill and blame the deaths on the diseases! What's the date on this thing…?" She found it after a moment. "Sunday, August 13, 1893!" She slapped the desk triumphantly. "Bingo!"

_San Francisco is a big place._

Lisa thought about that. "Well, I'll start with the part of town this article mentions and go from there."

_Are you sure about this?_

"Damn right I am." She stood up, looking at the flit. "Jamie, if I can't stop his death, I can at least ensure he won't die alone. No one should have to go through that, not even an android." She stroked his cheek. "I need you to stay here and be my anchor so I can get back."

He didn't like it, but he knew better than to argue with her. He nodded. _How will I know when to pull?_

Lisa pursed her lips. "Why don't you try, say, every half hour? If I don't come back within a minute, try again later."

He nodded. _All right._

She kissed his nose and went to the replicator. "Computer, create clothing appropriate for nineteenth century Earth in summer." There was a beep and what appeared made her look at the garments in distain. There was an all-in-one (an undergarment that was a sort of combination chemise and drawers), silk stockings, thick-heeled ankle-high shoes, a corset (which elicited a groan), a corset cover, a petticoat, a long skirt (another groan), a type of blouse called a shirtwaist, and a belt. On top were a hat, parasol, handkerchief, purse and gloves.

"I hate dresses…" she muttered as she folded her wings and started to put the things on, pushing the appendages through slits the replicator had automatically worked into the clothes. Once she made her wings invisible, so would be the slits. She pinned her hair into a bun on the top of her head and, using her telekinesis, purposely tied the corset looser than what would be the norm for the time period; there was no need to make herself even more uncomfortable than she already would be in these ridiculous clothes.

Finally, she was ready. She turned to Jamie for his opinion. "How do I look?"

He looked her up and down. With humor in his eyes, he said, _You should wear dresses more often._

"I should give you a smack…" She took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm ready. I can't bring anything with me but what I'm wearing so hopefully I won't have any trouble finding him once I get there."

_What about your glasses?_

He was talking about the fact that her wire frames weren't exactly indigenous to the nineteenth century. Glasses back then were slightly smaller than what she was wearing. Not worried, she tapped the frames with a far-off smile. "Perception filter. No one will notice."

Accepting that, he nuzzled her again and said, _Good luck._

Lisa nodded and put on a brave smile. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated all of her willpower on being not on the _Enterprise_ but in San Francisco on Sunday, August 13, 1893 early in the morning. She tried to picture the dusty street, feel the heat from the sun. Letting out a breath, she disappeared in a flash of light and crackle of energy.

_End chapter three._

* * *

**Chapter Three:  
**supernumeraries: This term is used on the scripts at Star Trek Minutiae for the extras that make up the rest of the population of a scene.

every half hour: The same instructions the Fourth Doctor gave to Prof. Rumford in "The Stones of Blood".

bowl of fruit: This is a reference to the bowls of fruit that seem to pepper the quarters of the people on the _Enterprise_ (and probably get tossed around when the ship has turbulence).

Perception filter.: I figure the Doctor made a perception filter for AL's glasses sometime after she met Erik for the first time (in my story _Beyond the Stars_).


	4. Chapter 4

**THIS STORY IS MARY SUE! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT!**

_Chapter Four_

The next sensation Lisa was aware of was warmth. The air around her was humid and it smelled of horses and ozone. There were noises: voices chattering, horses whickering, people laughing. She opened her eyes and smiled. She'd made it! At least…it _looked_ like she'd made it. She'd need to find something with the date on it, not to mention hoping that she'd arrived in the same part of town Data had.

She looked around. She was in a nondescript alley with old style garbage cans, a cobblestone street surface and brick wall buildings. When she stepped out onto the street, she saw a firehouse, saloon, locksmith, barber, a "drug broker" and a pest control office amongst other businesses and buildings. There were some people around tending horses and more people around cleaning up after the animals. Despite the situation, she had to smile. The horses reminded her a little of Alnilam.

Steeling herself, she took in the surroundings, opening her mind a little; she also opened her parasol to stave off the sunlight. She remembered, once upon a time, commenting to herself on how _boring_ the thoughts of the nineteenth century were, lacking the flavor and spice of those from the twenty-fourth century. It was all jobs and housework and children. Now, though, she was glad of it. If anyone had seen Data, then that would more than likely be the upmost thing on their mind.

She walked down the street, listening. There were a few snippets about "the pale Frenchman" that piqued her interest. Even more so were the bits about "the albino". Jackpot! Lisa looked around, hoping to maybe just see him on the street and avoiding talking to the locals altogether, but she had no such luck. Sighing, she spotted a bellboy loading some bags into a horse and carriage outside of what she supposed was a very nice hotel for the time: the Hotel Brian. He had an air of "I know things, ask me anything" about him.

She started to jog up to him but he went back inside the hotel before she could catch him. Mentally cursing her luck, she started to look for someone else, but she didn't have to. Walking up the street was a pale man dressed smartly in nineteenth century clothes, cutting quite the dashing figure. A grin split her face and she ran towards him, hitching up her skirt.

"Data!" she cried, gasping from the effort of running in a corset. "Data!" Not caring who saw, she threw her arms around his neck. "Oh, Data…I've found you…"

She felt the android's arms go awkwardly around her as he realized who it was. "Lisa?"

She broke away, smiling. "Yep." And that's when she noticed Captain Picard standing next to him. "Er…Captain…" Blinking, she realized that the Captain, too, was completely decked out in period clothing. She looked at them both. "Wait…you were still on the _Enterprise_ when I left. I was supposed to arrive on August 13th."

Picard and Data exchanged a glance and gently explained to her that she'd missed her destination by days. Lisa swore under her breath and kicked at a pebble on the street, sighing.

"Well, at least I made it before…" Her hearts twisted at the thought and she broke off, clearing her throat. "Where are you going?"

They gestured to the hotel building beside them and led her inside. She thought the hotel was a decent size and well decorated by nineteenth century standards. They were going to Data's room, which was not too far from the entrance.

Inside, a woman was pacing. She was dressed in a beautiful nineteenth century dress with exotic touches as though she were royalty from a far-flung island. Though five hundred years younger, Guinan looked no different now than she did in the twenty-fourth century.

Not knowing either Lisa or Picard, she went straight to Data as soon as they walked in. "You're back. I have wonderful news. I've found a way to get under the Presidio and into the mine shaft." Her voice trailed off when she noticed Picard, suddenly guarded.

"It is all right," said Data.

The Captain smiled at the sight of her, removing his hat. Guinan regarded him curiously. "Do you know me?"

"Very well."

She waited a beat before asking, "Do I know you?"

"Not yet," he replied. "But you will."

The…well, you couldn't call it a reunion when one of the parties hadn't met the other yet. Whatever it was, it was short-lived as they had to quickly gather the rest of the crew, get to the Presidio and through the mine shaft. Guinan didn't really specify how she'd managed to persuade the army base to let them through, but it didn't really matter.

During the journey, Lisa found out that, along with Captain Picard, Riker, Geordi, Troi and Dr. Crusher had stepped into the nineteenth century by following the original aliens through a kind of time vortex. She also found out that an "ophidian" was another word for "snake" – the aliens, in their human guise, were carrying a snake-shaped cane that was actually a creature capable of piercing the time-space continuum and opening the vortex. They'd tried to do so using their phasers earlier that day, but the distortions had only lasted for a few seconds. Whatever was in the cavern most likely amplified the effect.

Geordi and Riker scanned the cavern with their tricorders and compared the readings with those they'd gotten from the cavern back in the twenty-fourth century. "The triolic waves are just as high as they were on Devidia II," said the latter, "but there's no indication of a control mechanism."

"I'm not so sure," Geordi said from the other side of the cave. "My VISOR is picking up crystalline fractures. These cavern walls have undergone some kind of selective molecular polarization. In fact, if I'm right this entire cavern has been configured to focus the space-time distortion. Just like a lens. Captain – " He and Riker came over to where Picard was standing with Guinan, Data, Lisa, Troi and Crusher. "We think we might be onto something. The cavern itself seems to be acting as a focusing mechanism. I'm willing to bet that it's the same at their habitat back on Devidia II."

"If we can get back there and destroy that site it might put an end to their time traveling."

"We have the ophidian," said Riker.

"Truthfully," said Geordi, "I don't know that we _can_ get back. The aliens use triolic energy as a power source. The energy that our phasers generate may not be entirely compatible."

"We have no choice but to try," was the Captain's decision.

While they were talking, Lisa felt an odd prickle in the back of her mind. It wasn't Jamie pulling at her; that was a constant, regular feeling. This was…bristling and hostile. Had they been followed? She found that the cavern slightly inhibited her sense of what was going on on the surface, but this…this wasn't coming from the surface. This was closer.

She didn't like this. They were about to be ambushed and she had no way of preventing it. Instinctively moving nearer to Data, she watched the staircase where they had entered the cavern and saw a man in a white suit with even whiter hair and bushy mustache stalk down holding a gun in one hand and a cigar in the other.

"An event I most certainly would enjoy witnessing!" The man's voice was harsh with a Southern drawl. He held the gun on them. "However, I will regretfully waive that opportunity for the privilege of taking you all into the authorities."

Data strode forward. "Mr. Clemens, it is imperative that we continue our mission."

Clemens? As in Mark Twain? Wait, wasn't he touring Europe during this time period? Lisa decided that she wasn't going to think about it right now. There were much bigger problems to worry about.

"Mr. Data, I have listened to your stories and your excuses and your evasions and I will listen no longer! It is my moral duty to protect mankind from whatever devious plan you have in mind. Now, move along." He shook the gun, indicating Data should step aside. "I suspect that even time travelers are vulnerable to the Colt .45. Now, let's go. I made a young fellow a promise – " He put his cigar into his mouth and checked his watch. " – and I don't want to be late."

What happened next happened so quickly that they barely had any time to react. The two human-disguised Devidians phased in and snatched the cane from Troi's hands. They activated it but didn't have a chance to use it before Data grabbed it, knocking the male Devidian across the cave. Without thinking, Lisa grabbed for Data's arm and she felt tingling as energy crackled through the two of them. There was a sonic boom and a hole of blinding white light began to form…right through Data's body. Lisa cried out as the shock ran through her but she wasn't able to watch the horrible moment when his head left his body. She was thrown away from the android and struck her head, stunning her for a good few minutes until the wound healed.

She was vaguely aware of the flashing portal a few yards away. Dimly she saw someone – the male Devidian? – come through it and then disappear. Moments after, four more figures appeared and a fifth tumbled through before the portal closed. There was heated conversation but she was still too dazed to make out the words. Another voice was resonating inside her head but that was too painful to decipher as well. A blurry someone came towards her and she knew they were talking to her but her head hadn't cleared enough to process it.

After a few minutes her senses began to defog, but she still didn't acknowledge who was standing beside her. Her eyes fell upon the sad sight of Data's headless body lying near her, stiff and still holding the ophidian, now back in its snake form. Lisa squeaked out a little "no" and ran to her fallen friend, unsuccessfully holding back the tears.

She supposed that the rest of the crew had come over and that someone had ordered a transport because the next thing she knew she was back onboard the _Enterprise_. Again, there were conversations but she paid no attention; her hearts were breaking. She leaned over Data's body, sobbing quietly.

"…reattach the head we found."

It came through like a beacon in the fog. She finally looked up, swiping at the tears. Did she dare hope?

"Geordi," said Dr. Crusher, "that head is over five hundred years old."

Maybe not…

He stood up; he'd been kneeling beside Lisa and the body. "Yeah, but it's the best chance we got."

"Can I come?" Lisa asked in a small voice, tears still streaming.

The Engineer looked at her sympathetically. He nodded. "Yeah, sure you can." He helped her to her feet and patted her back. "Why don't you change your clothes first?" he suggested. "Judging by Dr. Crusher and Counselor Troi's expressions when we were back in the nineteenth century, those things aren't comfortable."

She started to protest but her corset had shifted in the fall from where it was supposed to be and thus was now squeezing her uncomfortably. She also felt a tug on her mind, realizing Jamie had been trying to contact her since she'd arrived back in the twenty-fourth century.

_Come back and tell me what happened!_ the flit demanded.

Lisa nodded her acquiescence and left for her quarters. Jamie pulled at her again and she used that grounding to teleport directly there. Jamie met her and he waited patiently as she brought him up into her arms to sob into his scales.

He patted her gently with his claws. _All's not lost, Lisa. Geordi said he was going to reattach the head they found. There's still hope._

She wanted to believe it, she really did. After changing out of her period dress, relieved to finally be out of that blasted corset, she folded her blue wings, put on her normal clothes and started out the door when Jamie stopped her.

_This time I'm coming with you._ He glided over and landed on her shoulder. She rubbed her head up against him and together they made their way to the Science Lab where they'd taken Data's body.

When she entered, she saw that Geordi had already reattached the head and was fiddling with Data's inner workings. Counselor Troi and Samuel Clemens, who had been that fifth person that had come through the portal, had arrived before them and, judging by their demeanor, Geordi had had bad news.

Clemens started at the sight of her wings. "First a werewolf and now an angel?"

Lisa didn't even have the energy to give him the line. She walked up to Data's still body and looked into the blank eyes, leaving Deanna to explain that, no, Lisa was not an angel. She ran her hand down Data's arm and to his hand; his body was stiff so that she couldn't lift his hand but that didn't stop her from trying to hold it. Jamie gently wiped the tears that were falling down her cheeks.

Deanna ushered Clemens out of the Lab leaving Geordi and Lisa alone with Data's deactivated form. Lisa stood out of the Engineer's way as he did what he could to repair their friend. He had a panel in Data's head open and was working at the circuits with his tools. He picked up a PADD off the desk and addressed the computer.

"Computer…initialize the reload circuits."

_"Reload circuits are initializing."_

"Okay." He put the PADD down and came over to stand beside the android's body. "Data…this ought to do it." Lisa held her breath while Geordi activated the tool against the circuits in Data's head, but they both visibly deflated when he remained as dead as ever. "Oh, I don't get it. I don't understand why this isn't working." Geordi picked up the PADD again, tapping the controls, and sighed. "Computer…" He scratched the back of his head. "Run me a diagnostic on the input polarizers."

_"There is intermittent contact in the input polarizers."_

Geordi was confused. "Intermittent?" He put the PADD down and went back to Data's side.

"That kind of means like a bad signal, right?" Lisa asked. She'd been very quiet while Geordi worked, not wanting to interrupt him, plus she was afraid she would start crying again if she tried to speak. She sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"Yeah," said Geordi. He lifted a panel on the back of Data's head and inspected the circuits within. "What…?" He picked up a different instrument and used it to pull out some kind of tiny particles. Lisa and Jamie didn't know what it was until Geordi did. "An iron filing. How'd that get in there?" He turned back to the head and made some adjustments in the circuits and made sure there were no more bits of iron blocking things. Finally he said, "Computer, run another diagnostic on the input polarizers."

_"Polarizer circuits are functioning."_

"Well, then, that ought to do it." Again Lisa held her breath as he activated the tool in his hand. This time, the circuits in Data's head lit up like a Christmas tree. Lisa held the bars of the stand Data was on tightly, hoping. Geordi chuckled and put down the instrument. "Okay, Data, come on now." He put his hand on Data's back and pressed the switch.

Immediately Data jerked, grasping at the bars. Geordi, Lisa and Jamie all looked elated. In fact, the blue in Lisa's wings faded instantly and their normal golden color shone as bright as a sun.

Data turned towards the Engineer behind him and spoke haltingly. "Torpedoes…phasing…alien…" He put his hand to the back of his head and clicked the open panel back into place. "I am processing a binary message entered into my static memory by Captain Picard. Geordi, are we planning to fire on the alien habitat?"

"Yeah," he answered, nodding, "but…"

"It is imperative that we do not. I will explain later."

Geordi tapped his comm. badge. "La Forge to Riker. Hold your fire!"

_End chapter four._

* * *

**Chapter Four:  
**The horses reminded her a little of Alnilam.: Alnilam is populated by unicorns.

She remembered, once upon a time, commenting to herself on how _boring_ the thoughts of the nineteenth century were: This happened in the aforementioned _Beyond the Stars_. The "jobs and housework and children" is from there, too.

wasn't he touring Europe during this time period?: TV Tropes states under In the Past, Everyone Will Be Famous that Samuel Clemens was actually touring Europe in 1893.

Judging by Dr. Crusher and Counselor Troi's expressions when we were back in the nineteenth century, those things aren't comfortable.: During the first scene in Mrs. Carmichael's Boarding House.


	5. Chapter 5

**THIS STORY IS MARY SUE! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT!**

_Chapter Five_

Lisa was so happy that Data was alive that she didn't care that they'd basically abandoned her in the Science Lab. Smiling, she walked out of the room with Jamie on her shoulders. She'd made a decision the moment he was reactivated; a very important one that would potentially change their relationship forever. She only had to wait for the mission to be completed and for him to have a free moment for her to discuss it with him.

They went back to their quarters and Lisa called up the ship's log to update herself on the situation. Data and the others had been gone for about nine days and they intended to destroy the aliens' habitat down on Devidia II. However, Captain Picard was still stranded in the nineteenth century. She couldn't even offer to go back and get him as she could not time travel with a passenger.

Lisa yawned; it wasn't as if she'd been awake for those nine days – on the contrary, since getting up this morning she really had only been up for perhaps around eight or ten hours – but the combination of adrenaline and riding an emotional rollercoaster was draining to her. She needed a nap, but she couldn't do that just yet. She needed to talk to Data today. After asking the computer to inform her when Data went back to his quarters, she went to the replicator for coffee.

She realized as she was sipping her beverage that Samuel Clemens was still on the ship. He, too, would have to be returned in order to not cause a distortion of history. After all, the disappearance of one of the greatest literary figures of Earth was something that never happened.

She found out from the log that Dr. Crusher was researching the ophidian in order to find out how to activate it and open the portal between the nineteenth century and the twenty-fourth and that the message the Captain had left in Data's head was a little more elaborate than "hold your fire". Something about needing to destroy not the area on Devidia II but the actual alien habitat that was phased there; outfitting the photon torpedoes' phase discriminators was needed. Since it would take a little time, that would make it possible to get the Captain back home.

Clemens had to be the man for the job since the portal would be unstable and could only bring one forward and take one back. She supposed that the commotion she was sensing was everyone modifying the torpedoes and anticipating Picard's return. It was touch-and-go for a little while, but, in the end, everything worked out just fine. The aliens' habitat was destroyed, everyone who should be in the nineteenth century was safely there, everyone who should be in the twenty-fourth was here, Data was alive and well head and all and Samuel Clemens would go on to write the books he became so famous for.

Now there was only one thing left to do and she left her quarters the moment the computer informed her that Data had returned to his, leaving Jamie behind and politely asking him not give his own commentary and distract her. Once she got there, she stood outside the door, fidgeting uneasily. She took a deep breath and pressed the chime button, waiting to be granted access. When the doors opened, she peeked inside and found him working at his desk. He'd changed out of his period clothes and was back in his uniform.

"Hi," she said lamely as she came fully into the room. "Um…can I visit for a while?"

Data nodded. "Of course. Would you care to sit down?" He watched her as she sat in the seat he was indicating and frowned slightly. "You appear to be anxious."

She blinked. "How can you tell?"

"Your body language suggests apprehension, concern, or unease. Your wings are twitching." She eyed the appendages at her sides. Only an android could have seen the nervous tics; she was just glad she wasn't scared enough to turn them white. "What is wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing." Beat. "Well, not really." Lisa took a deep breath, folding her hands in her lap. "It's just…this whole thing with your head under San Francisco got me thinking. The possibility of you d-dying…" She winced, then sighed. "Four years ago, after your hearing, I told you something."

It didn't take him long to recall the memory. "You informed me that you held romantic feelings for me."

"Right. And those feelings haven't changed, which is why, if you _had_ to die, I wasn't going to let you die alone. That's why I used my own time travel abilities to find you in the past." She stared at her hands. "It's unreliable…that's why I overshot my destination, but…" She looked up. "Data, seeing your bodiless head in Engineering and then your headless body on Devidia II…" She clutched her fists over her hearts. "…it _hurt_. I began to shut down…until Geordi said he was going to try reattaching the head."

She stood up and started pacing around the room. "The moment you were reactivated, I made a decision." She faced him. "Four years ago I told you that I was perfectly content with just being your friend and I _was_…until now."

Data blinked and looked about as concerned as an android could. "You wish to end our friendship?"

"No!" she said quickly. "No, nothing like that. I wanted to ask you…I mean I _hoped_…" She gathered her courage and decided to just come out with it. "I want to _expand_ our relationship. Take it to the next level as people used to say. Be _more_ than just friends." She walked around his desk to stand directly beside him. "I want us to…_be_ together."

He frowned slightly, processing what she was saying, then raised his eyebrows. "You wish to establish a romantic affiliation with me." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes. Look, I _know_ you can't return my feelings but I _just don't care_. I just want to be with you." She resumed her pacing, rambling now, wanting to get everything out into the open as fast as possible before she lost her nerve. "I want to come over whenever you're off duty. And I don't need you to make any extra programs like you did for Jenna. If I'm over and you want to paint, you can paint. Maybe I'll join you or maybe I'll sit and read. You want to go play poker with the senior staff? I'll…er…well, I can't join the game because it'd be unfair so I'll…I don't know, talk to Spot or something. If I want to do something with you, I'll tell you. If you want to do something with me, you tell me. If you want to go play Sherlock Holmes on the holodeck with Geordi, maybe I'll come with you or maybe I'll…" She made wide gestures with her hands as if trying to grab the right words out of the air. "…take a nap." She threw her hands up in the air. "I don't know. All I know is that I want to be with you." She stopped pacing and looked the android in the eye, spreading her hands, defeated. "Just…" Out of anything more elaborate, she shrugged and sighed, resorting to just pure, blunt honesty. "I love you. Please."

Data was silent as he analyzed her emotional babbling and she waited, hands clasped behind her back and staring at the floor. The wait was slightly maddening as she couldn't read his mind nor did he have any feelings for her to sense. She was totally in the dark while he decided what was to become of their relationship.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, he finally looked at her. "I believe there would be great benefits in…expanding our relationship as you say." He gave her the closest approximation to a smile that he could manage.

His smile, naturally, was only him emulating human behavior. Lisa's smile, however, was absolutely genuine. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Thank you!" she said, kissing his cheek. She released him after a moment. "I'll see you later." She got up and started to head for the door.

"Lisa, wait…" Data said. When she turned toward him, she saw his head tilted in confusion. "I thought you wished to be here with me."

She smiled. "I do. But I've had a very emotionally trying day. After all, I almost lost the man I love." She went up to him and kissed him again, this time on the lips. There was no _pop_ and no link, of course, but it didn't matter. She was happy. "I'm going to go take a nap. I'll see you later."

He nodded. "Goodnight, Lisa."

"Goodnight, Data. I love you."

Another nod, another interpretation of a smile. "I know."

Beaming, she walked out of his quarters and, with a new skip in her step, a grin on her face and her hearts very much lighter, she went to her room to dream sweet dreams.

_The End_

* * *

**Chapter Five:  
**after your hearing: The hearing conducted in "The Measure of a Man" after which AL tells Data she's in love with him and he tells her he already knew. Story in progress.

"I began to shut down…": This originally foreshadowed what happens when Data really does die as written in my story _Goodnight, Dear Heart_. AL's timeline has since changed so that Data no longer has to die at all.

And I don't need you to make any extra programs like you did for Jenna: Jenna D'Sora, whom Data "dated" in the _TNG_ episode "In Theory". AL's take on that relationship will eventually be its own story.

"I love you." / "I know.": Besides the obvious _Star Wars_ reference, this will be a callback to when AL first told Guinan she was in love with Data (story in progress). Guinan will ask, if they were to enter into a relationship, how Data should respond if AL told him she loved him. As Data overheard this conversation, he overheard this part as well.

dream sweet dreams: Semi-foreshadowing her nightmare of _Nemesis_ (which only exists as such in AL's timeline), which was written in my story _Alien Lisa's Nightmare (aka the Copout)_.


End file.
